PGA Tour Officials’ Testimony on Capitol Hill Reveals New Details on Agreement With Saudis

While PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman were not in attendance, there was still plenty to talk about coming out of the first Congressional hearing over the PGA Tour’s agreement with the PIF that was released on June 6.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) led the discussion that was held for two reasons: potential antitrust issues regarding one entity controlling professional golf and the PGA Tour’s newfound relationship with the Saudis.

PGA Tour COO Ron Price and Policy Board member Jimmy Dunne, who began talks with Al-Rumayyan that led to the agreement, did testify on Tuesday.

.@SenBlumenthal: What would you say to the players who feel blindsided and betrayed? How many players did you notify in advance of reaching the agreement?

PGA Tour COO Ron Price: “I don’t believe any players were notified.”

Blumenthal: “None? Not a single player was notified?” pic.twitter.com/IRniU5qzgW

— CSPAN (@cspan) July 11, 2023

Sen. Blumenthal asked at the start of the hearing:

“What happened that led the PGA Tour to change its position? Was it only the hope of ending litigation? There is something that stinks about this path that you’re on right now because it is a surrender. And it is all about the money and that’s the reason for the backlash that you’ve seen.”

Dunne said that the PGA Tour faced an existential threat by the PIF in the form of LIV Golf. He said if five players jumped ship each year, “they can gut us.” The Athletic reported over the weekend that the PGA Tour was losing money at a rapid rate due to increasing legal bills and skyrocketing purse money for more and more big events to appease players.

Documents released on Tuesday did shed some light on the potential future of LIV Golf. The deal calls for Norman to be moved into an advisory role once the PGA Tour takes control of the circuit. The PIF will also continue to fund operating losses on LIV Golf.

Norman Out? Yasir Getting Into Augusta? Tiger In LIV Events? A Full Breakdown Of The Largely Theatrical PGA Tour Hearing In Congress https://t.co/ulS1H0bVuz pic.twitter.com/82Lmldm53p

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 11, 2023

Regarding questions over the PGA Tour going into business with a country, many believe has ties to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Dunne, who lost friends in the World Trade Center on 9/11, said that he wasn’t concerned that he was negotiating with terrorists.

Dunne said:

“If any person had the remotest connection to an attack on our country and the murder of my friends, I am the last guy who would be sitting at a table with them. If this agreement ultimately succeeds, I have nothing to gain except a sense of pride that we have helped to unite the game we love.”

Monahan didn’t attend due to the medical issue for which he is on leave for until July 17. Al-Rumayyan and Norman cited scheduling conflicts. Sen. Blumenthal said he will continue to seek out the testimony of the three and didn’t rule out using a subpoena to do so.

Cover Image Via Twitter